Tips sakura

Capture strategy

Chaff cards are completely worthless in this game. This means that it is often not a good idea match two chaff cards, especially in games with 3 or more players:

- In 2-player games, matching two chaffs together makes it less likely for both you and your opponent to capture the remaining (more valuable) cards of the same suit. If you want a card of the same suit for a yaku, it's usually better not to capture the chaff and hope to draw the card you need from the deck.

- In games with 3 or more players, it is rarely a good idea to match two chaffs together. All cards are divided among the players by the end of the round, so if you match two chaffs, someone is guaranteed to capture the two remaining (more valuable) cards of the same suit, and it will likely be one of your opponents.

Gaji (wild card)

You have a lot of options for strategy when you get the Gaji , especially if you have it in your hand.

- Try to use your Gaji to capture a 20-point card or, even better, complete a yaku with it.

- In games with 3 or more players, remember that the player who used and captured the Gaji also receives any unmatched cards that remain on the field at the end of the round. If you do not match the Gaji with a willow card, this means that you effectively get two cards for free: the remaining willow card, and the remaining card of the same suit as the card you captured. Note that this is NOT the case for 2-player games.
➥ If you capture a card of a suit of which there are only two left, this guarantees that you get both of these cards. For example, if a player already captured the cherry blossom ribbon with a cherry chaff card , you are guaranteed to get the valuable cherry blossom curtain card if you capture the remaining cherry chaff with the Gaji.